Review Archive

‘Hand Full of Seeds’ by Brian Lalor - an intangible magic of words and music

(July 26, 2014)

This is an EP that you really should hear. It’s also, with luck, the precursor to an album. Brian Lalor belongs to that incredible tradition of Irish storytelling troubadours singing their songs and speaking their poetry in their own way, and creating an intangible magic that only comes alive through words and music. There’s only five tracks on his debut EP, ‘Hand Full of Seeds’ and it’s a captivating experience – piercingly observant lyrics, a soft, spoken-singing style that drives the words deep, laid over elegant instrumentation to amplify the message.

Through the inspiring melody and lyrical poignancy of ‘See what you can find’, Brian’s spoken-song style pours out the essence of the words. This voice I could listen to for a long time. There’s a softer feel, coupled with perfectly placed drums, on‘It’s All Happening now’ with itssoothing entreaty to look forward and work with the answers you happen to find within, while throughout ‘A Country Job’ there’s insightful understanding in a message that naturally relates its tough observations. ‘Try your best’ brings in a more rock-touched impression with cutting guitar and solid drums, to portray a raw feel that fits the lyrics to a tee. Finally, there’s an instinctive, almost primal feel to the intense narrative of ‘The Way the wind blows’ – you can almost hear a road-movie anthem in the making.

The production on ‘Hand Full of Seeds’ the work of Brian O’Mahoney, adds both presence and depth but never gets in the way of the engrossing vocals and profound lyrical edge. And the inclusion of some minimalist, tender backing vocal touches from Angela Byrne is an inspired decision.